I agree wholeheartedly with your comments, and I have to think that Lucas intended that partisan crap to be an appeal to the Hollywood overlords for a special Oscar for the series. I really do believe that was his suckup intention. Not that he's not a leftist, but he's never been noisy about it until recently.
And I like movies that seem bent to make kids reflexively question concentration of power. It's certainly better than propagandizing them to applaud it.
I don't believe that. It's too Machiavellian: Adding political angles to movies doesn't win special Oscars. I also think he doesn't really care about Oscars anymore.
Plus, he's already won a special Oscar for his producing, so he won't be winning another one.